Shifting Sands, Searing Sun
by TheHippoman
Summary: The fall of the Shuriman Empire is well known. Its last days are less so. A troubled emperor grapples with his own morals and the fate of his nation, forced to either accept tradition to change his future, or risk it all to save an unlikely friend. As the sands shift, a story is revealed, and tempers flare in the heat of the Shuriman sun.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: So, this is a little side project I've been working on. Short story, short chapters, but it was an idea I liked and I decided to roll with it. Don't worry, Unholy Alliance isn't cancelled or anything, these next few chapters just need A LOT of touch ups before I'm satisfied with them. For now, hope you enjoy this as well._

"Monuments rise from dust and sand, and they crumble back into it.  
Warriors bathe in blood and sweat, and in a flurry of both, they fall.

Can we overcome this cycle?

Can we ascend?"

-To're The Wise- Ancient Scholar of Shurima

"Azir."

I jolted my head upwards and looked at Sur'tesh's unshaven face. The old scholar was wise, claimed my father, and his words were worth heeding, even for an emperor to be.

"Young master, please do pay attention. If you are to rise to the same glorious station as your father...you must know the history of your dominion!" Sur'tesh proclaimed, snapping the tome in his hands shut. "Now, if you will, Master Azir, please, summarize what we covered today."

Steadying myself, I looked up at my teacher and nodded. "The Shuriman Empire was founded seven-hundred years ago, by the first Emperor, Sa'rab. He built his town into a city, the city into a nation, and the nation into an empire. We have some of the wisest scientists, fiercest warriors, most cunning mages, and skilled craftsmen in all of Runeterra." I could see a crooked smile begin to creep across Sur'tesh's wrinkled face. "And we have the most powerful Emperors. Right now it is father." I paused. "I mean, Emperor Anbi."

A deep laugh sounded from the back of the schoolroom. Sur'tesh knelt on the floor as my father entered, flanked by two silent guards. He was wearing his ceremonial robes, long and white, decorated with intricate golden patterns. His long hair and beard hung over the many necklaces decorating his collar. "It sounds like you are learning quickly, my son. Excellent work, Sur'tesh. You are a credit to your Emperor."

"Thank you, Emperor Anbi." Sur'tesh whispered, still kneeling.

"I would like to ask that Azir come with me for now, however." Father gave me a smile. "Captain of the Guard Ku'rik has finally located his gift."

Sur'tesh nodded. "Whatever you desire, my emperor. My services will always be available to you."

My father nodded to one of the guards, and he crossed the room and handed my tutor a bag of gold. I followed them into the main hall of the palace. My chambers were upstairs, so I did not often get to see it up close. I took the time to look around as much as I could. The walls were covered in etchings of ancient heroes and emperors, and the three main halls were labeled in ornate silver lettering. They were the Path of Strength, where the military trained, the Path of Knowledge, where the mages and scientists studied through ancient tomes, and the Path of Reward, where all the sacred items of Shurima were kept under heavy guard. Apparently, we were not going into any of them, as my father and his guards led me up a stairway flanked by two large trees. These stairs would take us to the Royal Chambers, and we emerged in front of my father's throne room. As we made our way down the path to my bedroom, my father began to speak.

"Azir, you will be sixteen years old in only a week's time. You will be a man. And there is something every Shuriman Emperor needs by his side. A trusted ally, a valiant guardsman, a right hand. I believe we have found one for you."

The guards opened the doors to my room, and the sight shocked me. A boy slightly older than me sat on the chair by my bed. He was tan and had short, cropped hair, looking at me with an odd expression. I recognized him.

"Azir, this is Xerath." my father proudly proclaimed, smiling at the gift he had presented me.

I couldn't help but feel my eyes being drawn to a strange mark on the boy's arm. It looked like a burn, recent. It was the symbol of the Shuriman nobility. A brand. A mark of ownership.

"He is yours now."


	2. Chapter 2

Sunbeams light the sand

Grains morph and fuse in the boiling rays

Through pain, bonds.

-Solar Era Scholar, name unknown

It had been a year since I had first been given Xerath. I still felt...uncomfortable. Sometimes I wanted to ask Father to return him to where he had come from, but I did not wish to offend him. The boy was...strange. He was about my age, but he rarely spoke. However, he followed me wherever I went. When I finished my meals, he would remove the plates. When I attended class with Sur'tesh, he would carry my books. When I attended my father's sessions of court, he was always at my side.

It was driving me mad. In the beginning, I had often tried to make conversation, but the slave said nothing beyond a nod or a shake of the head. After three months of failed attempts, I considered asking my father for help. On my way to his chambers, though, I saw the Guard Captain, Ku'rik. His dagger was caked in blood, and on the ground was a slave, crimson blood staining the brick around her. As she struggled to her feet, I felt as if I was going to vomit. Her back was covered in small, precise cuts. Four in a row, then a line. Tally marks. Ku'rik turned to me, and he smiled.

"She asked to be taught arithmetic. Never let it be said I am not a good teacher, eh, young master?"

His laughter felt genuine, real. As if he truly thought this was the funniest thing in the world. I was not afraid of Ku'rik, I knew he would never harm the son of the Emperor. But the safety of this slave, of all the others, I could not guarantee. For this reason, I forced the bile back down my throat and gave a curt nod, hurriedly rushing into a side room. I could not tell anyone now. If they knew that Xerath was not following my expectations… I could still hear the pained whimpers of the slave outside. Daring not to look upon that again, I hid in that closet all night long. When I awoke, Xerath was outside the door. He extended a hand. I took it, and he helped me up. So were the terms of our unwritten contract. I was the master, he the slave, and nothing needed to be changed.

Today, I had enough of this. I began to divert from my usual path into Sur'tesh's classroom. Instead, I made a sharp turn to the right, down the Path of Reward. The guards stationed there parted as I entered. Xerath followed the whole way. I walked through the darkened chambers, past countless piles of gold and gems, treasures of the Shuriman dynasty, waiting until I could no longer hear the idle chatter of the guards. Turning on a dime, I grabbed Xerath's shoulders and pushed him against a wall. He flinched, and I stared into his eyes. They were a deep blue, widening for just a moment, then returning to their usual, neutral expression.

"Why will you not speak to me? Are you afraid? Are these my father's orders?"

Xerath remained silent. In my rage, I continued to ramble.

"Is this your way of defying? I understand! But this is how it must be! I cannot...I cannot stop this! I cannot help you!"

Shoulders sagging, I looked down. "I cannot free you. But I can allow you to speak. Please."

"As you wish."

The voice took me by surprise. I had never actually heard him before. A mix of confusion and frustration began to bubble in my gut. "Xerath! You...spoke? Why...why never before?"

"You did not ask me to, master." His tone was inhuman, like wind passing through a hollow monument, mournful sounds that hung in the air for what seemed far longer than necessary.

For a few moments, we simply stood there, the relics of the Empire casting their silent judgement from all directions. Finally, I nodded. "I understand. Xerath, from now on, you are free to speak your mind. If I am to be Emperor, I will need council."

His expression remained unchanged, but the slave nodded.

"In addition to your current duties, I would ask for this. Do you understand?"

"I do, Master."

We exited the Path and returned to Sur'tesh's classroom. As I entered, the elderly sage bowed. "Good afternoon, Master Azir." He scratched his head and let out a hollow chuckle. "Damn this old age. I've forgotten where we left off last time…"

I couldn't blame him. Not that I would tell the old man, but Sur'tesh's lectures often sounded very similar to me. It was the best I could do to stay awake, much less remember many details.

"We were discussing the great Shuriman Magelord, Alm'ra." Xerath's voice was quiet and collected, yet Sur'tesh seemed startled by every syllable. He poorly tried to hide a nervous look in my direction, and I felt a surge of anger. Did he think I would lash out? Attack my slave merely for speaking? Was this how all of Shurima expected the Imperial family to act? The thought of it made me indignant, but I kept my silence.

The rest of the class period was relatively normal, as Sur'tesh droned on about the exploits of a long dead sorcerer. I was woken from my nearly unconscious state by a rather forced sounding cough from the scholar. "So, for our next session, young master, I would like you to tell me which of Alm'ra's rituals you believe had the greatest effect on our Empire. Mull it over for a night or two, this wisdom will serve you well." Stretching my legs as I stood, I gave Sur'tesh a respectful bow, and exited the room. I could feel his gaze lingering on Xerath and I until we were around the corner. As we walked, I turned to him.

"I'm impressed you remembered that about Alm'ra. I didn't even know you were listening during those lessons."

A hint of a smile crept across his face. "Knowledge of the arcane arts should be useful to you, Master. It is a field that I believe is crucial to any Emperor."

As if the word had summoned him, I heard the characteristic heavy footfalls of a guard approaching. It was Ku'rik. "Master Azir!" he barked, still as military as ever, "Your father is returning from his hunting trip! You should go and see him, I hear he's got quite the catch today!"

Judging by the sudden blare of a horn from the gates, Ku'rik was right. I thanked the captain and hurried off, Xerath in tow. My curiosity had been piqued.


	3. Chapter 3

In triumph, tragedy

In honor, hubris

In delight, death

In heartbreak, hope

-Shuriman Soldier's Chant, Early Sun Era

Beams of sun collided with my palm as I blocked out the glare, walking through the towering castle gates. The scene before me reminded me of the murals in the royal chambers. Masses of citizens were gathered around, blowing on crude noisemaking instruments, cobbled together from spare metal and stone. Two columns of royal guards rested on either side of the road, garbed in the traditional ceremonial hunting armor, leering through bronze jackal masks. In the center of it all was a convoy of carts, wheeling forth prizes from the hunt.

Sur'tesh had explained to me the purpose of these trips many years ago. When Shurima was a small state, "hunt" was more of a word for "raid", the carts often returning loaded with blood soaked goods and prisoners. Now that the empire had expanded, the Hunt was ceremonial at best, with the Emperor visiting many outlying villages, who presented him with gifts of tribute. And the gifts this year were indeed fine. The first cart held pottery, elegantly carved works of clay depicting my father's face and royal crest. The second was full of food, delicacies from across the Empire, preserved by a mage who rode atop the vehicle, chanting a strange charm. And so they continued for what seemed like miles, each bringing more and more wondrous items. I even saw the ever stoic Xerath raise an eyebrow at a few trinkets. From the distance, however, I could hear the crowd begin to roar with excitement. That was when I knew my father was approaching.

The cheers grew louder as he neared, and my jaw dropped when I saw the contents of his carriage. Father himself was sitting on a chair built into the top of the cart, a slave fanning him as he waved and cheered to the adoring public. What was perhaps more impressive, however, was the massive carcass strapped under his seating platform. A massive purple insectoid beast lie dead. Even lifeless, I could feel a chill run up my spine as I saw its row of gigantic teeth, ending in two large mandibles. As he reached the palace gates, the rest of the carts being safely unloaded behind him, the excitement rose to a fever pitch, the blaring of noisemakers drowning out all else. I saw him give me a smile before he began to speak.

"Countrymen!" the emperor shouted, standing and extending his arms. "The Hunt was, this year, quite bountiful! Doubtless you have all heard of the Xer'sai, the mysterious beasts that have been ravaging our border villages!" His voice took on a somber tone. "50 Shurimans and 3 slaves died facing these aberrations. And it seems that their king decided to come for me this time! But Shurima is chosen by the sun itself! It cannot fall!" He thrust his scepter below him, sounding a booming crack and resting its tip on the top of the carcass.

"Now you can all see what becomes of those who would threaten my people!"

The applause was deafening. So much so that I never heard what was coming.

As father continued to pose and wave, there was a scream. Not unusual, often some of the less composed subjects had trouble keeping their wits about them around the emperor. But this was not one of those occasions. Suddenly, the screaming grew louder, cacophonous, as more and more people joined in the nightmare chorus. Suddenly, the east side of the audience began to frantically fling themselves at the guards, trying to push through. Although the soldiers raised shields to stop them, soon they too would begin to flee, some tossing their armaments to the ground and entering a full blown panic. On the horizon, growing steadily larger, was a sinkhole. Quicksand, not new to any Shuriman. However, this seemed to be moving.

All at once, small monsters began to pour from the hole. They looked like the beast that lay dead beneath father's feet, but much tinier. Still, their numbers were immense, at least fifty of the creatures emerged within the first 30 seconds, and they were headed straight for the crowd. "TO ARMS!", I heard Ku'rik bellow. His squad of palace soldiers ran to intercept the Xer'sai, clashing spears against fangs. My father was still, calmly observing the battle, his hand firmly clenched around the top of his scepter. Something tapped me on the shoulder, and I whirled to see Xerath, his blue eyes darkened with fear.

"It seems that His Majesty has slain the king of these "Xer'sai". They seem like they wish to seek revenge, and if there is a king…"

A sudden, ear-rending roar came from the sinkhole, now mere meters from Ku'rik and his guardsmen. From the abyss burst a horrifying creature, every bit the size of its dead fellow. The insectoid monstrosity chattered its fangs before it pulled four massive claws from the hole as well, followed by the rest of a long, serpentine tail.

"That must be the queen."  
The guards closest to the beast were nearly instantly cut down, their blood spurting in the air as a sweeping claw cut straight through a row of shields. Horror set in as a few more tried to flee, only to be cut apart around the ankles by the queen's smaller brood. Ku'rik leapt backwards, surprisingly agile for such a heavily armored man. The queen seemed to rush at him, her entire massive body barreling for the captain of the guard, but, at the last moment, she diverted her course. The monster was headed for my father. Frozen in fear, he could only look on as the beast closed its fangs around the carriage and began to pull, knocking him onto the floor of the seating platform as she dragged her mate's carcass, and all that was attached to it, towards the sinkhole.

I let my logic and sense subside as I rushed down the steps and towards the cart, reaching up to grab for my father's arms as I approached. He was struggling to stand, one leg lying motionless atop the carriage as the bottom wheels began to submerge. I could feel light breezes around my ankles as I dashed through the sand, Ku'rik's warnings falling on deaf ears as I ran for my father. The Xer'sai queen had reached her sinkhole, and the cart was beginning to go under. With a lunge, I grabbed my father's hands and yanked him off of the platform just as the carcass, carriage, and the unfortunate slave who was by his side were dragged beneath the sands. The Xer'sai began to retreat, and for a brief moment, I felt as if it was about to end. Then I felt the sand tugging at my legs, dragging me below as well. I had strayed too close to the sinkhole, and was being sucked under, my father next to me.

"Azir!" he croaked, barely still above ground.

"Father!"

Ku'rik was struggling to wade through the corpses of Xer'sai and guardsman alike, cursing as he rushed towards my father. I noticed blood seeping from one of his feet. He had been badly injured, as I would later learn, by a falling piece of cart crashing atop his boot. His slowed gait was not nearly enough, as I felt myself sink ever deeper, grains of sand now whirling about my neck.

Someone grabbed both of my hands and pulled. As I looked up at my savior, I could see Xerath gazing back at me, determined as he tugged against the quicksand, his feet floating a few inches above it as magical sparks flew from his sandals. With a grunt and another tug, I was free, Xerath dragging me away from the sinkhole and to solid ground. I wanted to thank him, to ask him how he performed that arcane trick to float above the earth, but all I could do was gaze in horror at my father, who was now completely submerged, aside from one hand, feebly twitching in the swirling sand.

Ku'rik had finally arrived, and I heard the massive man yell as he yanked on the limb. The emperor emerged slightly, his eyes closed. Another pull revealed his torso, and one more his hips. On a fourth tug, Ku'rik using his long reach to stay outside of the sinkhole, there was a sickening crunch. My father's body emerged, minus one leg, lost beneath the sands. As the sinkhole closed, I stared up at the sun, and Xerath. My slave gave me a pained look as he too gazed upon my father's mutilated form. I saw Ku'rik approach, and slap Xerath, hard, across the face. He spiraled out of my field of view, and it was only the burning orb of the sun that accompanied me as I faded into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

Life houses pain, hatred, and doubt.

Death brings closure, change, and memory.

Both define existence, and both shaped Shurima.

-Al'rabi, The Scarab Empress

"I can teach you no more." Sur'tesh closed the tome with a heavy clap as dust leapt from the pages. "I am afraid my time as your schoolteacher has passed, Master Azir."

It had been a little over two years since the disastrous Hunt. The bloodstained sands had been swept away by time, and little evidence remained of the Xer'sai attack than a stone pillar, a solemn memorial left to commemorate the lives of the fallen guardsmen. The citizenry still avoided the place as if it was cursed, however, often taking wide turns near the palace entrance. Xerath hated it. "Superstition.", he had often told me, "Simple minds believe that everything is magic. The arcane is not easily wielded by a screaming insect, regardless of size." Xerath too, had felt the effects of time since that event, marked by a light scar across his right cheek. Even glimpsing it reminded me of the aftermath of that day.

The sting of a misplaced stone rod in a cot was my first memory, oddly enough. My father and I had been rushed to the infirmary. As I stirred from my unconcious daze, I remember staring directly down the snout of a crocodile. And it talked.

"The prince is awake!"

The flurry of activity nearly sent me back into unconsciousness. Nurses were surrounding the bed, shoving all manner of smelling salts, drinks, and enchanted charms in my face. With a calm, almost unnatural gait, another figure approached. This one was a jackal. He turned to the crocodile and gave a curt nod. "Good. Please, watch the Emperor for me, brother."

The reptilian man turned to leave, and I caught the glint of two massive blades tucked into his belt. Whoever this was, he was clearly an accomplished warrior. The jackal continued to speak, turning to me as he did so.

"You are Azir? I am glad to see you awake again. Those creatures rarely leave survivors. In fact, I believe you are only around the two-hundredth example. By my records, of course." His snout turned upwards in what I assumed was meant to be a reassuring smile. "You may call me Nasus."

Nasus. The memories began to trickle into my mind, accompanied by the droning voice of Sur'tesh from some ancient lesson. He was one of the Ascended. A millenia old person...or perhaps god was more appropriate, having undergone some sort of magical ritual to grant incredible power, near eternal life, and an inhuman form. From what I could remember, Nasus was some sort of scholar. That made the crocodile…

"Renekton...you need not...worry…"

My pleasure at recalling the name of the other Ascended was quickly vanquished by the weak tone of a voice I recognized.

"Father?"

I attempted to leap from my bed, only to feel myself overcome with a sudden sluggish sensation. My muscles seemed to atrophy briefly as I awkwardly flopped over. Nasus retracted his hand, still crackling with magical energy. "I am sorry, child, but you must be still. You may still have some undiscovered injuries."

Weakly tilting my head, I could see small glimpses of my father. He was lying on a cot as well, a veritable legion of medics, soldiers, advisors, and one rather large reptile surrounded him. I breathed a sigh of relief as he gave me a reassuring nod. "Listen to Nasus...please. I will survive."

There was a slight part in the crowd, and I could see the extent of my father's injury. His right leg had, indeed, been devoured. An odd purple tint was reaching from the bandaged stump, creating veins of odd, pulsating energy on his bare thigh.

"Void energy." Nasus stated, following my eyes. "The fangs of the Xer'sai have a troubling property. That is no ordinary poison."

"Will my father die?"

"We will all die." Nasus calmly replied. "It is part of the eternal cycle. But I assume you speak of...soon?"

It was fairly clear that the Ascended were not masters of social graces, at least. I nodded.

"I cannot tell you, for I do not know." Nasus bowed his head. "But...I will not lie to you. The crown summoning the Ascended is rarely a cause for celebration. He may fear his time is soon at an end. I have instructed the medics in all the cures I am aware of, but even after centuries of life, I must acknowledge the certainty of death, young Azir."

Nasus' speech was interrupted as the door slammed open. I recognized the scowling visage of Ku'rik immediately as he dragged a figure behind him.

Xerath.

My slave was covered in bruises, clearly recently inflicted. Ku'rik shoved him to the stone floor at Nasus' feet, causing the Ascended to step back, clearly rather surprised.

"My emperor, my prince…" Ku'rik breathed. "This slave...he was casting magic! Surely he was empowering those creatures!"

Xerath said nothing. He simply stared, and unpleasant memories of his silence during our first several months of knowing one another filled my mind. I saw Ku'rik reveal his scimitar, a golden crescent shining harshly against the dull stone wall. "Give me the order, and I will execute this simpering traitor!"

My father was speechless. I was sure he was about to order Ku'rik to cease this foolishness, but he turned to me instead. "Azir. This slave is yours. I give you the decision."

An odd mixture of confusion and rage seemed to fill my gut. "Xerath's magic...it was to stay above the sand!" I cried. "He saved my life! Do not harm him, Ku'rik!"

Ku'rik too, was surprised. I watched as his snarl deepened, and his eyes swiveled to my father, who nodded. "You heard my son. The boy is not to be harmed."

Shaking, Ku'rik refused to lower his weapon. "No! My liege, my emperor...magic, ANY magic, is forbidden knowledge for a slave! I am the Captain of the Guard! I will not...I REFUSE...to allow the law to be ignored!" As his scowl twisted into a smile, Ku'rik seemed more demon than man. "You will thank me later, you have both just survived a near death encounter...when your judgements have returned…"

With a clatter of medical tools falling to the ground, Renekton lunged across the room, grabbing Ku'rik and slamming him to the ground. His scaly fingers encircling the burly man's neck, the Ascended began to speak. "My brother and I do not typically interfere in these affairs...but I believe the emperor has made his opinion clear."

"Indeed." Nasus had spoken up now. He looked down at Xerath. "And the prince speaks the truth. I can sense arcane remnants on this boy's legs...but nowhere else. If any spells were cast, they were of a self-effecting variety. Certainly no summonings, or strengthening cantrips. He had nothing to do with the Xer'sai queen."

Xerath stood, legs trembling, and looked me in the eyes. "Are you alright, Master Azir?"

"I am. Thanks to you." I declared. While Ku'rik managed to not find himself on the sharp ends of Renekton's blades, his insubordination earned him quite the demotion. It would be years before I saw the former Captain again.

An oddly forced sounding cough from Sur'tesh brought me hurtling back to the present reality. I was in class, of course. I could have sworn I saw a smile curl around Xerath's face as he saw my embarrassing lapse in focus.

"Thank you, Sur'tesh. You have been a wonderful instructor." The old man smiled.

"Do visit me sometime, Master Azir. I have been doing some research on Ascension...a fascinating subject! I must admit, my prince, I still feel a little jealous that you met Lord Nasus in person!"

As I prepared a sarcastic reply about the circumstances of that meeting, the door creaked open. Xerath and Sur'tesh bowed deeply as my father entered the school room. He walked with a limp, a long, thick golden rod protruding from the remnants of his right leg. As his robes swished, I could see the dark violet skin that lay above it, and could not help but remember Nasus' words. Although he tried to hide it from me, it was clear. His condition was deteriorating.

Father gave a smile to Sur'tesh and began to clap. "Thank you for assisting my son for one last session. Your usual pay will, of course, be doubled for such an occasion."

"Your generosity is one of your many fine traits, Emperor Anbi." Sur'tesh replied, bowing so deeply I thought his old bones would snap. My father then addressed Xerath.

"And has my son been paying attention, slave?"

Xerath seemed to stiffen. His answer came out in syllables, rather than all at once. "Mostly."

My father chuckled. "As I suspected. Ah, well. I was worse when I was his age. Do the two of you mind leaving for now? I would like to speak with my son in private."

Sur'tesh and Xerath left swiftly, and my father waited for the sound of the door slamming shut before speaking. "So, your education is complete. You have learned of the laws of our land, the duties of the throne, and the glorious emperors who preceded you." A small smile crossed his face. "Including a certain Emperor Anbi, who I expect you to have a bit of a special respect for! But I am still unsure of something."

I raised an eyebrow. "What, father?"

Pain seemed to etch itself on his face as he continued. "I am not sure you are prepared to be Emperor. And I do not mean this as an insult."

I was puzzled. "Then what DO you mean it as?"

The Emperor sighed. "Today two nobles entered my throne room. One of them had stolen a large sum of gold from the other, and granted it to one of his servants, who had fallen on hard times. The accuser demanded the imprisonment of the other noble, and the execution of the servant. Do you know what I did?"

I blinked. Surely it was obvious. "You refused. You took some of the gold back, to be sure, but-"

"I had the servant stabbed, and cut his master's hands off with the very same blade for thievery."

I was speechless. "Father. That's...that's…"

He closed his eyes. "Heartless. Evil. Despicable. But I had to do it. The noble who was affronted...he controls the entire slum district. Should I offend him, he will likely take his aggression out on the poor who are forced to live under him. I could not risk that."

Enraged, I pushed my chair aside, staring daggers at my father. "But you are the Emperor! You could have stopped him!"

"But I could not have stopped those he would have inspired, his family, his allies, and soon, Shurima would be divided. I am Emperor, but I am not a god. I shed undeserving blood today, Azir, but it was a puddle. I would not risk a monsoon."

"I would!" I sputtered. "I would force him out of his position, if I had to! I would look out for ALL citizens of Shurima, not one pompous noble!"

To my surprise, my father smiled. "You are so compassionate, Azir. That is why I fear you may not be ready to be Emperor. The power is great, but so is the cost. This is not the first hard decision I have had to make, my son. And some day, you too, will be forced to make them. I only pray you can keep your inner sun burning through it all, and bring about a better Shurima. It is all I have ever wished for you."

Emperor Anbi rose to meet me, and extended his arms to embrace me. I walked away.

One week later, he was dead from the Void poisoning. I was to be Emperor Azir.


	5. Chapter 5

Shackles and Crowns are both cast from bronze.  
Who is to say they're different?  
-On'ro, Architect of the Solar Era

Shuriman coronations are not fanciful affairs. As I took my place atop the shrine in the Royal Tomb, I had a perfect view of the small crowd that had gathered, the small circlet that was to placed on my head, and, most strikingly, of my father's body, lying in an open coffin.

I couldn't forget the story he had told me. I had always seen my father as benevolent. Isn't that what a son should do? But now, looking upon his corpse, I thought I saw his lifeless face, smeared with blood, spreading and engulfing his peaceful visage.

Xerath jostled me from my daydream with a light tap on the shoulder. "Azir." He nodded towards the crowd, who I had barely noticed had begun to shuffle out. I'd almost forgetten this part of the ceremony. I was supposed to close the lid on my father's coffin alone, in private. It was some ancient superstition about the passing of an Emperor's spirit. I didn't believe in it, but looking at the now empty tomb, it was clear tradition would not waiver to my personal beliefs.

As Xerath began to exit the room, I called to him. "Wait."

He approached me, azure eyes clashing wildly with the red of his funeral robe. And the bronze of his collar. I felt my heart drop as we looked at my father's corpse. "What did the slaves say...about my father?"

I noticed Xerath lightly tense, something he had not done in front of me in a long time. "They...they thought Emperor Anbi was mad. I'm sure you're aware of the Xer'sai attacks, the droughts, the starvations in the outskirts of the empire...and your f...The Emperor, was too busy appeasing nobles to lend his aid."

I solemnly nodded. "I suppose they're right." A fire rose within me as I turned to Xerath. "But I'm going to change that. My father was a man of compromise. I will not be, Xerath."

My friend arched an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Shurima will change. I will not allow slum lords and corrupt officials to harm our people any longer. I will stamp out injustice." My voice was rising, though I barely noticed. "I will show them all what an Emperor is meant to be. And you...you will be free."

Xerath paled. "My lord, you…"

I felt invincible, coursing with power as I closed the coffin, daring my father's dead eyes, as if expecting his ghost were going to try and defy me. Maybe I believed in that superstition after all. "But I cannot do it alone. You saved my life, Xerath."

"And you mine.", he quipped.

" Now I must ask a favor of you once again. Will you change Shurima, Xerath?"

To my surprise, there was no hesitation, in his manner or his voice. "I will."

The rest of the ceremony, once the crowd reentered, was unremarkable. I was given my crown, I waved to the high-society assembled, and I silently thought about what I would have to do to work around each and every one of them.

* * *

That night, as I returned to my room, an older slave was waiting at the door. Our eyes met, and he crumpled to the floor in a deep bow.

"Great Emperor Azir! I have been placed here to inform you that your new chambers have been prepared."

"Oh, yes. I had forgotten. My thanks."

The man simply nodded silently, not moving from the ground. Turning and walking towards my former father's room, an unfamiliar scene unfolded. The palace servants, making their rounds as usual, turned and stared towards me in reverence. Some bowed their heads, others dropped to their knees. It was simultaneously embarrassing and...somehow empowering. A part of me wanted to ask them all to rise and go about their business, perhaps even apologize for the interruption. Another wanted to bask in it, to accept the glory of my position, to rise to the occasion as emperor. Instead I simply walked down the hall, through the golden doors of the royal bedchambers, and closed it quietly behind me.

Even I was rarely allowed in my father's private room, so the sheer size of the chamber came as a shock. Golden trims lined the walls, precious ores made up each tile of the floor, and the ceilings were draped with flags, bearing the insignias of the many regions of the Shuriman Empire. As I walked past the stone desk, the springwater bath, and sat upon the frame of the enormous bed, the setting sun illuminated my steps. I started to understand now. The glamour, the reverence, the sheer indulgence of it all, was intoxicating. I felt invincible, unstoppable, but the memory of the slave outside my room was tugging me down. The weight of my thoughts seemed to burn away whatever energy I had left, and I quickly fell asleep.

Xerath was standing over me as I awoke, just as he had for years. His voice seemed a slight bit more excited than usual, though with Xerath, it was hard to tell.

"My Emperor. It is time to appoint your court."

* * *

I shook the remains of sleep from my eyes as I followed him out of the chamber. Shurima was not a land that liked to wait. My father's funeral, and my coronation, came only a week after he had died. With his death came the retirement of his advisors, and now it was my job to choose replacements. It was sudden, but dallying for too long risked a power vacuum, conflict, and other unpleasantries. So I found myself in a room off to the side of the Path of Knowledge, looking over a group of candidates. They all bowed as I entered the room, and I felt that strange tinge of mixed emotion again. Pushing it out of my mind for now, I surveyed the group. In the week between my father's death and my coronation, his aides had practically forced me to learn about each and every one of the men and women present. I had also received visits and gifts from many of them, unsurprisingly. I remember Xerath's gaze turning especially loathsome at the bribers, while they were not looking. We had often joked that one of his greatest talents was not letting you know he hated you. It was barely concealed in this room, however, as my slave locked eyes with me, tilted his head towards a few of the more decadent campaigners, and gave a small groan.

It admittedly took a little effort not to laugh as he bowed and stood behind me as I ascended the steps to the podium at the front of the room. "Shurimans!", I cried, lifting my arms as I had seen my father do before me, "We embark today on a new era! I respected my father, but I am not Anbi. I am Azir, and I will choose those who stand closest in my journey on my own terms, not those of a dead man." Some of the older nobles present grew wry smiles, as if they had heard this a thousand times before.

There were a total of six positions that required filling, two in each branch of the Shuriman palace, named after the Paths. Strength was to be represented by a Sun General and a Captain of the Guard. For the Sun General, a warrior who would defend Shurima from the threats of other empires, I chose a veteran by the name of Slo'vik. He had lead the guards in the capital city for a few years now, and crime had plummeted under his rule. He seemed a fitting choice. For my Captain of the Guard, I announced the name of Sina, the daughter of a guard who had been slain in the Xer'sai attack. I had personally seen her train, fight, and become one of the greatest guards in the palace in that time. She responded to her nomination with a glowing smile and a fist bumped against her chest.

"For Emperor Azir! For Shurima!"

The room burst into a tepid applause, some laughing and cheering at this patriotic fervor, others clearly thinking that speaking out of turn was embarrassing. I admired her enthusiasm, and judging by the rare smile I saw on Xerath, he did as well.

Next was the Path of Reward, and the positions of Master Smith and Master Treasurer. Smith was barely even a choice. The entire empire had been awed by the works of a young metalworker by the name of On'dar, who had been the one to create my father's coffin, many of the decorations that now sat in my chambers, and was always the focus of tantalizing rumors about some new, secret project. He was also blind, and said to simply feel and speak to the metal in a way the rest of us could not understand. Unsurprisingly, no other candidates even bothered to show up. When I announced his name, On'dar simply nodded and left the room, as if he had some other project that needed his attention. Treasurer was a slightly more difficult decision, but a local merchant baron by the name of "Lady Rub'an" was present. Rumor had it this was not her true name, and that she used to deal in black market goods, but what was an attempted smear on her had seemed to be quite the advantage, in my eyes. Someone familiar with the underside of Shurima could see what the emperor could not. My announcement of her name was met with a few involuntary gasps and grumbles, but Lady Rub'an simply grinned and crossed her legs, as if already scheming.

Finally, the Path of Knowledge. This position was a little different. I could barely recall the legend of why, but it had to do with a rockslide that nearly destroyed the capital, a single mage being unable to halt its advance, and his trusted apprentice providing the extra energy required to stop it. Since then, if indeed that was true, it had been a tradition that the two branches of the Path of Knowledge were Grand Magus and Grand Apprentice. Instead of separate duties, both would conduct research into magic, in a master and pupil relationship. For my Grand Magus, only one man stuck out in my mind. I called out the name of Sur'tesh, and the old man blinked as he stood, as if the announcement was a grand surprise. Admittedly, he was not the most exciting of men, but his experience made him a fine fit. As I reached Grand Apprentice on my list, I glanced over at the candidate. Like Master Smith, only one man had bothered showing up. Zaler of the Ruby Sand was a hero to many Shurimans. A slave revolt had occurred in a city far to the north, and he saved the lives of their masters by raising a great wall of arcane energy that barricaded the city until reinforcements arrived. His moniker came from the red gem that he wore on his headpiece, said to be made from the bloodstained sands of that slave revolt, and magically transmuted by him. Zaler stood for tradition, power, and the continued ascent of the Shuriman nobility. He was, in short, everything I did not want.

Only one mage had ever saved my life with a spell. Only one mage I knew, and could trust, to stand beside me as I changed Shurima.

"Xerath."

It was as if a sun had exploded in the small chamber. There was yelling, arguing, finger pointing, and a general sense of chaos that completely pervaded the air. I turned to look at Xerath, and he was looking at me. His expression betrayed no emotion, but his stance seemed tense.

"Azir."

The room went silent as Zaler approached the podium. The mage was wearing a long blue cloak, and his face was, to my surprise, a smiling one. "I'm pleased to know that His Majesty has a sense of humor." He turned to Xerath with a look of pure scorn. "After all, elevating a slave to this position...it would require freeing him, would it not? Something no Shuriman emperor has ever done, except in cases of extreme need." His eyes lingered on Xerath as his venomed words dripped out. "Besides, I think we'll all want a Grand Apprentice who is...literate."

Silence still crept through the chamber, sending a chill up my back. Compromise. I hated the idea, but my father had a point. Should I try to change things all at once, nothing would change. I would alienate the nobility, and, loathe as I was to admit it, I needed them.

"Xerath will still be my slave." I announced. My slave's eyes seemed to dim slightly, but only for a moment, before he returned to his usual stoicism. This time, it was me who smiled. "But he will also be the Grand Apprentice. I believe I told you things would change, Zaler."  
I had expected the chaos to resume, but the silence still reigned. Zaler was no longer smiling. Instead, he bore an expression of something between surprise and disappointment. "Very well, Azir…"

"Emperor. Emperor Azir."

Xerath had spoken for the first time in the meeting, directly challenging Zaler with his eyes. "I don't believe His Majesty has given you permission to remove His title."

That seemed to crack the Red Sand. He whirled towards Xerath, hand raised, but lowered it as the tip of a sword came to rest on his shoulder. From behind him, Sina spoke in a deliberate tone. "As the new Captain of the Guard, I would advise you leave the palace, Zaler."

A few beads of sweat seemed to cloud his gem as Zaler sighed and moved towards the door. After he departed, I looked at the crowd of candidates and my newest advisors.

"This Selection is adjourned. For Shurima!"


	6. Chapter 6

Stone crumbles.  
Glass shatters.

A true artisan picks up the pieces, and begins anew.  
-Emperor Homus

I had ruled with my new advisors for two years when Lady Ru'ban requested an urgent meeting for the first time. As I held her message in my hands, I turned to Xerath, who was sitting at the desk near my bed. "Take a look at this."

Wordlessly, he lifted an arm. The parchment rose from my hands and floated across the room, into his. I rolled my eyes. "You would think the Grand Apprentice could find better uses for his magic than saving a few feet of walking."

"The arcane is infinite, Master." Xerath muttered, poring over the note. "It is not as if I'm going to waste it all."

"I'm hoping that's not the only spell Sur'tesh has taught you."

He gave me a blank stare. "Have you already memorized the note?"

"I have."

Xerath snapped his fingers, and the parchment burst into flames, falling in cinders to the floor below.

"Impressive.", I responded, glancing at the pile of ash, "But you're still cleaning that up." A knock at my door alerted me to someone's presence. I recognized the firm pattern. It was one I had heard often, admittedly more often than was public knowledge. "Enter, Sina."

The Captain briskly opened the door and strode into my room, her golden ceremonial armor highlighting her long dark hair. "My Emperor, I've come to deliver the daily report."

I frowned. No offense meant to Lady Ru'ban, but time with Sina seemed much more appealing. "I cannot right now. I am on my way to a meeting with the High Treasurer."

She nodded and looked down to bow her head, coming back up with a slight smile. "Understood. I will return at sunset. But, my Emperor…you have something on your boot."

Blinking in surprise, I stared down as well, only to notice my boot was covered in black ash. Remnants of a certain note. "Slave Xerath…", I muttered, turning to the Apprentice, "You were supposed to clean that up. Get to it."

Sina smirked and left the chamber. As she did, I could feel a pair of hollow, azure eyes staring into my back. "Xerath?"

"I believe you referred to me as "Slave Xerath", oh Glorious Emperor." His voice was thick and dull, the words sounding hostile.

Admittedly, I felt he was overreacting. "You know that's for show. The people must think I am a strong emperor."

"Standing tall by using others as your footstools?"

I turned angrily. "Xerath! You know as well as I do what our goal is here! But it just...cannot happen that quickly. You've said that yourself, what's gotten into you?"

The slave sighed and looked me straight in the eyes. "We are coming close, Azir. Sur'tesh and I...we may be able to recreate the ritual of Ascension."

"Ascension? But that hasn't been attempted in centuries! It's dangerous, Xerath." I was concerned, although admittedly a bit intrigued. I could still remember my encounter with the Ascended brothers.

"It's just a theory for now." Xerath said, standing up and dusting off his robes. "But I am going to return to work on it. If you need me, I will be in the Path Library." As Xerath departed, he waved a hand again. The ashes on the floor rose into the air and flew out the window, scattering into the wind.

The overly sweet scent of some sort of exotic tea assaulted my nostrils as I entered Ru'ban's chamber in the Path of Reward. The whole room was lavishly decorated with all sorts of rare furs and trinkets. Ru'ban herself had some sort of pipe in her mouth, blowing rings of smoke as I entered.

"I welcome you, Emperor Azir."

She grinned widely, giving me an full view of the scar that ran down her cheek.

"It is good to see you, Lady Ru'ban. What did you want to speak with me about?"

I settled in a chair across from her desk. The material felt strange and squishy, almost liquid. Ru'ban leaned back, blowing another ring of smoke away from my face.

"The food coffers have been steady. The drought in the eastern empire has brought a loss, but I've worked out a deal with some farmers in the west to supplement extra meat in return for a few favors, which I've already had prepared, don't you worry."

Asking Ru'ban what "favors" entailed tended to lead down a rather unseemly, criminal road, so I elected not to ask.

"As for gold, we were at an even state of spending and earning at the moment. The renovations of the capital square were costly, but, as expected, paid for themselves in increased profits and tax money."

Settling deeper into the uncomfortable chair, I gave the Treasurer a quizzical look. "It sounds like you're doing well. Why did you request my presence?"

Ru'ban clicked her tongue, sending the pipe bouncing between her now pursed lips. "I said we WERE at an even state, my Emperor. There has been a complication." Reaching into the pocket of her dress, Ru'ban passed me a ledger. It was labelled for Shurelya, a city I know fairly well. It was somewhat of an entertainment center, filled with theaters, dance halls, and art galleries. They always contributed much to the crown. However, the numbers did not match my memory. For the past several months, Shurelya had been sending less and less to the capital. Less food, less tax money...and finally, last month, nothing at all.

"At first…", Rub'an began to narrate, "I assumed it was simply a matter of drought, or bad business season. Perhaps a Xer'sai problem. But I have been assured by an...associate, that Shurelya is prospering wildly. They are simply refusing to cooperate. I must admit, they were clever...I didn't suspect a thing until it was shoved right under my nose." She shook her head. "Age is dulling my senses, I suppose."

"But...why?" I asked, glancing up again. "Why would Shurelya do this?"

Another smoke ring wafted through the stale air as Ru'ban slid a glass of tea across the table to me. As I drank hesitantly, she continued. "I doubt it was Shurelya's idea so much as their new governor. He rose to power on a platform of strong tradition and arcane strength, but in the shadows, he whispers of toppling the weakling Emperor who has not yet made the "reforms" he spoke so highly of."

My heart lurched. It wasn't as if I hadn't expected any resistance. The line of Shuriman emperors was not a family tree, at some point my great grandfather had claimed the throne with the severed head of the former emperor at his feet.

Ru'ban lifted a finger as I started to speak. "And I believe I can answer your next question, Emperor. This governor is none other than Zaler, of the "Red Sand", or whatever foolish epithet they've hoisted on him."

Zaler. I remembered him. The man I had turned down for Grand Apprentice. Apparently he'd not taken it well.

I stood and nodded, my breath quickening. "Thank you for the information, Lady Ru'ban. I shall contact Sun General Slo'vik, and tell him to make for Shurelya at once. Zaler will answer for his betrayal."

Chuckling, Ru'ban began to swirl the remainder of her tea. "You have my full support, young Emperor. Oh, and, before you leave…" She pointed a wrinkled finger at a gemstone on a shelf near the door.

"Take that. It's for you."

Inspecting the gem, even I was impressed by the quality and deep green color. I'd never seen anything like it in Shurima. "This is for me?"

Ru'ban chuckled. "Of course! Something to present to Lady Sina, I presume…"

I widened my eyes as I glanced back at Lady Ru'ban. "How did you…"

She continued to laugh, a wry smile crossing her face. "Oh, Emperor, I do apologize. But it's not exactly usual that an Emperor and a Captain of the Guard come out of a "strategy meeting" with a tilted circlet and a backwards breastplate." As I began to flush slightly red, she smiled. "Oh, your secret is safe with me. Now, go and conquer. On both fronts."

As I shut the door behind me, I had two major thoughts ricocheting in my head. The first was that Zaler was plotting to overthrow me, and I may have to put an end to it with force. The second was that meetings with Lady Ru'ban seemed to be rather intrusive affairs.


	7. Chapter 7

We test ourselves each day, like pillars in the sand.

It is but hope and prayer that oft keeps us from crumbling.

-Qu'nar, Shuriman Philosopher

"You want me to speak freely, Emperor Azir?"

"I do, Slo'vik. You are my Sun General."

"I think it's a damned stupid idea."

The bearded man rested an arm on his scabbard and sighed. I admittedly wasn't all that surprised by his answer. It had been a week since Ru'ban informed me of Zaler's uprising, and now I was ordering soldiers to march on the city of Shurelya.

I had asked to come along.

"Look, Emperor." His tone was lecturing. Not condescending, but a more respectful explanation. "War is ugly. You haven't had proper training. We're low on troops as is, with so many of them having to return to take care of their families during the drought season, so I can't set anyone aside to watch your back."

Slo'vik's advice was worth heeding. I nodded to him, but did not yet move from my seat in the barracks. Many of the common soldiers were rushing around the room, sharpening weapons and polishing armor. Most of them paid me no mind. Either they were all highly trained, or I simply wasn't very impressive for an emperor. Maybe a little of both. I leaned in to speak to Slo'vik in a hushed tone.

"I understand. I simply wish I could...prove myself."

He nodded. "I've heard that before. I've buried too many new soldiers who've said that before. You want my opinion? Stay here. Don't let them know there's such a problem the Emperor himself has gotta get off his throne to deal with it."

Leaning back, I turned Slo'vik's words over in my mind. True, being on the throne in a time of crisis would serve as a guiding light to my people...but that was what my father had done. "The Mad Emperor", as Xerath had told me some of the slaves called him. I did not wish to pave the same legacy.

"Slo'vik." I stood, looking the Sun General directly in the one eye he had left, the other covered in a patch. "I will bring my own guardian, so you need not draw from your troops. But I will join you."

He frowned deeply. Clearly the Sun General did not often have his advice ignored. "I suppose I can't object, if it's a direct order from the Emperor. Fine. We leave tomorrow, at sunset."

* * *

That night, in the hall outside of my bedchambers, I was met with further disapproval.

"I wish you would reconsider, my Emp-"

I gave Sina a knowing look.

"Sorry. I wish you would reconsider, Azir." she muttered, still a bit uncomfortable with the informality. But Sina was never one to cling to tradition anyway, and we had become far too familiar for titles anyway. It was probably some sort of breach of Shuriman code to pursue a romantic partnership with your own Captain of the Guard, but that was one law I would gladly strike from the books as Emperor. Still, it was worth keeping secret, for now.

"I promise you, I will be careful." Noting the worried look on her normally resolute face, I continued. "It may not even come to battle. When he sees our forces, Zaler would be wise to simply surrender."

There was a short laugh from the darkened hallway. "I would doubt that."

In the blink of an eye, Sina was armed and pointing her sword towards the unseen intruder. "Halt!", she declared, taking a defensive stance.

A burst of azure, arcane light illuminated the hallway. Xerath lowered the hand he had used to cast the spell and walked towards us. "My apologies, Lady Sina. I did not mean to alarm you...simply to state my opinion on the matter."

Slowly uncurling her biceps and relaxing again, Sina gave Xerath a look. "Next time, could you do it where we can see you?"

"As I said, my apologies. But, if it helps...I come bearing gifts."

From his robes, Xerath produced a rather sizable bundle of cloth, carefully wrapped and marked with the seal of the High Smith. "On'da bid me give this to you, Emperor Azir. He heard you were going to battle…"

I had only decided that this morning. Clearly the rumors about how quickly On'da could work were well substantiated. Unfurling the cloth, I withdrew what was inside.

A golden circlet, the back end studded with various gems. The front was tilted forward at a slight angle, designed to block out the sun, a very popular design choice in Shurima. What was most clearly striking, however, was the ornamentation on the front of the visor. Two glistening rubies flanked an upturned piece of metal, molded into the shape of a beak. It looked just like a falcon, cast in golden colors.

I could not hide my amazement. "This is...fantastic. And he made it in a day?"

Xerath nodded. "Indeed, my Emperor. Battle regalia befitting a newfound ruler of Shurima, wouldn't you say, Lady Sina?"

I passed the circlet to the Captain, who began to inspect it. "Hmm. Certainly very solid work. I've never been a fan of headpieces in battle, tend to obscure the view, and your enemy will just go for the gut anyway...but this could probably deflect an arrow or two. Just not big enough to do much else…"

Chuckling, I gently took the piece back from Sina. "Thank you for your analysis, but I imagine this isn't all the armor I'll be wearing…"

Rubbing his chin, Xerath looked at the visor again. "I would imagine it's meant to be intimidating. To impose fear on the enemy ranks, as the Emperor, with the strength of a falcon, bears down upon them. Same principle the Ascended seem to use, really."

As my best friend and my girlfriend debated the qualities of the piece, I decided it was an appropriate time to pose the question I had witheld.

I cleared my throat, and both of them turned to face me. Sina even gave a salute. "I promised Slo'vik I would bring along a bodyguard, someone to protect me in the heat of battle. I have a bit of training with the spear...but it was all ceremonial, really. I need a stalwart ally, and I believe that either of you would make for an excellent partner."

The hallway was only silent for a moment before Xerath spoke out. "I would be honored." Sina was silent, staring down with a look of worry. Most unlike her.

"Xerath…" My voice was lingering in trepidation. "Are you sure? I will be honest, I was expecting Sina to speak up first."

Xerath shrugged. "I must admit, I wish to test my new spells in battle...should it come to that. And I believe it will. I have been forced to read some of Zaler's works from the palace library...he experimented with some of his more gruesome spells on slaves."

A bit of rage filled me as I nodded, beckoning for Xerath to continue.

His eyes lit up, dull blue turning to brilliant sapphire on his face. "I would like to return the favor."

Sina smiled. "The slave-Apprentice makes a compelling argument. Few things are a better motivator in battle than the drive to see justice done." She nodded towards Xerath. "He has my vote of confidence."

Xerath seemed less than honored. He simply turned to look at me, expectantly. Finally, I nodded. "Alright. Sunset tomorrow, have our traveling gear prepared, Xerath. We go to battle."

As my slave departed, I turned again to Sina. She looked troubled, slumped against the wall. "Is there something wrong?", I asked, leaning in close.

She looked back up at me, and I noticed cracks in her hardened facade for the first time. "I just don't want to lose you. I've already buried my father. I cannot do so for my Emperor, my...lover."

Kneeling next to her, I spoke softly. "I will be careful, Sina. I promise you, I will return safely. Slo'vik and Xerath will be fighting alongside me-"

"If it comes to that."

"If it comes to that." Standing, I gave an involuntary yawn. "I'm afraid I need to be off to bed, however. I will see you tomorrow, Sina."

"Wait."

She had stopped me with my hand on the bedchamber doorknob. "Yes?"

Sina stood as well, gazing into my eyes. "I have another reason you must stay safe, and you must return. It is also the reason I did not volunteer to join you."

I was puzzled. Sina continued without my prompting.

"There is someone else I must care for. Someone I believe you will wish to protect as well...Azir."

Slowly, Sina took off her armor, revealing a slight bulge in her stomach.

"I'm pregnant, Azir. You will soon have an heir."


	8. Chapter 8

Blood is the greatest oil on the wheel of progress.

-Sar'nak, Lunar Period Usurper

The city gates of Shurelya seemed taller than I remembered. The city I remembered was full of life and sound, street dancers dressed in extravagant costumes flanking the gates, musicians playing instruments on the steps to the main square. Today, however, they were completely vacant. Only dust floated above the performance stands.

I was near the front of our army, only behind Slo'vik and a unit of shield-bearing guards. This was one of the precautions Slo'vik had insisted on, if I were to accompany them. Xerath stood beside me, his usual robes exchanged for a set of light leather armor. Soldiers numbering at around 100 surrounded us, but noone said a word as we approached the empty gates.

The Sun General turned to me, his weapon of choice, a massive axe, clenched tightly. He looked me over with an eye of caution and nodded. "Keep that spear up, my Emperor. Things could get ugly…"

We stood there, in formation, for what felt like an eternity before a man walked out onto the city walls above. Though it had been years since I had last seen him in person, it was hard not to recognize Zaler. His handsome face was flanked by an extravagant headdress of beads and feathers, and his robes were made of deep red silk. On his chest, as always, hung the ruby that had given him his nickname.

He called out, his voice apparently magically magnified. "Why, we weren't expecting guests, I must say…"

Slo'vik rolled his eyes. Clearly he was not amused by the theatrics. No magic was needed to amplify the Sun General's mighty bellow. "Zaler of the Ruby Sands! Your city has been willfully neglecting tribute to the crown and the capital! There is no need for violence! Simply come down unarmed, and we shall discuss a peaceful way to settle your debt!"

I could not see Zaler's face clearly in the glare of the sun, but I suddenly had the feeling his eyes were upon me. His reply was cold and severe.

"I expected more of you, Slo'vik. You blindly serve an emperor who will DESTROY years of Shuriman tradition! A boy who thinks he can wear a man's crown! An idealistic idiot, who appoints a slave to the position of Grand Apprentice, just to prove some foolish "point".

I could feel a surge in some strange energy next to me. Xerath was getting angry.

"Allow me to make a point of my own. Death to the weakling Emperor! Prepare to be consumed by the Ruby Sands!"

With a massive flux in power, Zaler screamed in exertion as he rose his arms to the sky, looking as if he were trying to lift some invisible weight. Then he clapped his hands together, and chaos broke loose.

The sands around the city entrance rose in accordance with his earlier motions, surrounding our army with the very ground around them. Some of the unfortunate outlying soldiers were already dragged into the walls of sand as they rose, churning and wriggling in the desert wind.

And then, they began to close in. Two massive slabs of sand were closing in, and the troops were panicking. Slo'vik, however, was still steeled. It felt like I could barely hear him over my own frantic heartbeat. "Through the gates! The gates!"

The mass of troops surged forward, me with it, the visor of my falcon circlet thankfully deflecting much of the sand away from my eyes. I frantically searched for Slovik's golden boots amongst the swirl of legs and sandals. Someone grabbed my arm and tugged me, hard, toward the open gates. With the stone arches deflecting the incoming sandstorms, I could see the rest of the troops clearly now, surging into the Shurelyan square. Our troops had gone from an organized formation into a mad clump of armed bodies, a few stragglers being crushed by the walls of sand. The gates suddenly slammed shut behind us, and I gazed through the crowd to see the back end of a ruby robe disappearing into a building as Zaler fled the scene. For a moment, everything seemed to have ended. Then Slo'vik's voice rang out.

"An ambush! It's an ambush! Spread out!"

All around us, windows of shops and homes flipped open, and I could see the glint of arrowheads, pointed directly at us. They all began to fire at once. We were an easy target, panicked and unprepared, and the archers easily found their marks. A young soldier near me screamed and fell to the ground in front of my feet, blood steadily pooling from a wound between his eyes. Flailing limbs and hastily drawn weapons surrounded me as our troops attempted a hasty counterattack, but it was of little use. Floating slightly above the bloodied ground, Xerath approached me, firing arcane pulses from his palms in the directions of the incoming arrows. Slo'vik was directly behind him, barking orders directly to me, all pretense of formality gone in the heat of battle. "Move! With me, behind that monument!"

The three of us withdrew from the crowd of soldiers, shoulders hunched to avoid high arrow fire. There was a cylindrical statue in the east of the square, with a workshop connected to it. We had reached moderate safety behind the stone pillar, and I felt my chest nearly collapse as I exhaled in relief. Xerath descended, magic energy dissipating from his body as Slo'vik looked directly at me, his eyes wide with adrenaline. "You need to stay out of sight, Azir. Wait until we clear this square." He swiveled his head. "Xerath. Say here and guard the emperor with you life!" Xerath nodded.

"Of course. I would do no less."

Slo'vik gave a nod, and the Sun General turned and rushed back out to the battle. Xerath and I stayed there, breathing heavily. I gave him a look of amazement. "The way you were fighting there...I've never seen it."

He nodded, his hands still crackling with power. "A technique I adapted myself. Typically used at short range to weld metal. I just extended it. The principle was simple enough, once I-"

The door to the workshop unexpectedly opened. A man was standing there, eyes wide. "You...you're…"

Xerath moved quickly, raising a palm. "Stay back!"

The man quickly put both his hands in the air, and I could recognize the burnt apron and sweaty beard of a blacksmith. "I swear, I'm not with Zaler! Come in, come in!"

We followed him into the home. Of course, it could have been a trap, but it seemed unlikely to me that any trap could put us in a worse situation than the one we were in right now. He closed the door behind us, and knelt before us.

"Oh, Emperor, I am honored to have you in my humble workplace."

This display of loyalty was surprising in a town where minutes ago arrows were flying in my direction. Xerath too, seemed skeptical.

"I promise you," the man said, bowing his head lower. "Not all of us in Shurelya are part of Zaler's schemes. That bastard...my children are slaves, y'see, and he took them. I...I haven't seen them in months. Even when I deliver new tools to his lab…"

"His lab?" Xerath's interest was clearly piqued. "Where would we find it?"

The smith didn't even address Xerath, keeping his eyes on my boots. "That's why I called you in here, great one. There's a tunnel in the alley behind this workshop...he's probably there, been workin' on some kinda...something down there. Please, Holy Emperor...stop him!"

I was torn. This was a chance to deal with Zaler, once and for all. However, I had told Slo'vik I would stay safe, and rushing headlong into the lair of a powerful mage seemed far from that. Apparently, Xerath had no such worries. He was already out the back door, rushing towards an alley. Thanking the smith for his help, I rushed off to join the Grand Apprentice, meeting him in front of a small opening in the wall.

"You should stay." Xerath muttered.

"We will make him answer for his crimes together, Xerath."

He had no objections, and we entered the tunnel. It was a cramped, torchlit place, contrasting sharply with the normally beautiful city of Shurelya. Mounds of fresh dirt and tools in the corners gave me the impression that this tunnel was a rather recent construction. We walked together quietly, my hands clenched tight around the handle of my spear. After a tense march, Xerath pointed at a door at the end of the tunnel. "Be on guard."

I hefted my weapon and nodded. Xerath pulled open the door.

Zaler's laboratory was well stocked. Potions and poisons of all kinds, meticulously labeled, sat on the shelves. Magical tomes were stacked in the corners, and a table filled with mixing equipment and etched with runes rested at the back. Zaler himself was bent over it, his head suddenly jerked up and his eyes filled with rage at my sudden appearance. I barely had time to register it before a small group of men and women walked out from behind the door, forming a wall between Zaler and me. I could clearly see the copper collars surrounding their necks, and the chains binding them to the a post in the ground. Slaves. A cruel grin lit up Zaler's features.

"Azir. A pleasure. Honestly...I was hoping you'd join me here. Surprised, but...pleasantly."

Xerath shot his palm out to cast a spell, but the slaves quickly shunted to the right, blocking his path to Zaler. Slowly, he returned to a neutral stance, hissing a sentence that was more rage than words.

"Damn you, Zaler. Hiding behind your own people? You're a vile waste of your arcane gifts."

The Ruby Sand began to laugh. "This is perfect. This is...all I wanted. Each and every one of those...things knows that if they do not protect me, they will meet with something worse than death. The weakling Emperor, stopped by his own sentimental idiocy. Fantastic. Now then, scurry off, before I melt you and your beloved slave boy."

I knew there was only one way to save Shurelya. Zaler had gone too far, and he had to be destroyed. If not, more Shurimans, more slaves, more people would die. I silently asked the gods for forgiveness as I raised my weapon.

I thrust forward, four times, right into the hearts of the slaves. They collapsed, dead, and I stepped over the bodies.

Zaler's eyes were wide as I charged for him, tossing my lance away and simply leaping over the table, knocking bottles aside as I tackled him to the ground, pinning the mage as I stared down at him, the falcon circlet casting a glare into his eyes. I could hear his heart pounding as he looked up at me, still in shock.

"I...underestimated you."

I heard damp footsteps as Xerath approached, his sandals covered with blood. He knelt next to Zaler and clenched his hands around the Ruby Sand's neck. They began to glow with power as he spoke, monotone and slowly, never taking his eyes off of his victim's.

"This is a spell you created. It freezes the very blood of a victim, slowly killing them as it works its way through. You tested it on upwards of five slaves, and you submitted your results to the Royal Library. To me." Zaler's eyes were wide with shock. "It was in a batch of five other spellbooks. I would love to demonstrate them all to you, but this will simply have to do."

He let go of Zaler, who had stopped moving, the spell beginning its work. Xerath looked at the blood dripping from my spear on the floor, and then back to Zaler, speaking to me without meeting my gaze. "Emperor. You decide our next move."

I grabbed Zaler's arms and dragged him up a spiral staircase in the back of the laboratory. We continued upwards for what felt like an eternity, but was really only a few minutes. I desperately fought to keep the faces of those slaves out of my mind as I climbed. It was a necessary sacrifice, but I felt as if I was the one who had been stabbed.

When we reached the top of the steps, it opened onto the top of the city gates, where Zaler had stood before. Below, I could see Slo'vik and the surviving soldiers, still battling a horde of Shurelyan guards.

"SHURIMANS." I bellowed, lifting Zaler's barely alive body as I cried.

All of the combatants turned to me and stopped. A chilling silence hung in the air. "Zaler of the Ruby Sand…"

Looking furiously into the mage's frozen eyes one last time, I tossed him into the streets below, watching as his body snapped as it hit stone pavement.

"Is dead. Shurelyan guards, surrender, now, and you will live. Such is the decree of the Emperor!"

The Shurelyan rebels dropped to their knees and surrendered their weapons. Our remaining soldiers broke out into a cheer, celebrating in the streets. Doors began to open as still loyal Shurelyans emerged to administer medical aid. I could see Slo'vik smiling up at me, nodding his approval. A voice I had never heard began to chant. "Praise The Falcon! Praise Emperor Azir!" The chant spread and grew louder as soldiers and Shurelyans alike shouted it. I, however, was not really listening.

I was watching to my right, as far below, Xerath was bringing two slave corpses to the smith who had helped us earlier. The large man fell to his knees and began to sob while the rest of the city celebrated. I met Xerath's eyes, and I could not tell what emotions he was feeling from such a distance. I only knew that I was wracked with guilt.

That day would go down in history as the battle the great Emperor Azir stopped without spilling a drop of innocent Shuriman blood.

I knew that was a lie.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Hey there, everyone. I wanted to really quick mention that I'm very pleased with the attention this story is getting. I was kinda shocked my side story would be getting any Follows or Favs, but people seem to be enjoying it, so I'm pleasantly surprised!  
**

 **This story is going to have one more chapter for an even 10, then an Epilogue and some final thoughts. Hopefully you'll all enjoy the conclusion. Unholy Alliance is creeping up on the end as well. Man, what am I going to do after that? Enough of my babbling, here's the story.**

"Sometimes the only things that can be saved are what we choose to sacrifice."  
-Wa'nak, 6th Grand Apprentice

"A gift from On'dar, your majesty."

I took the bundle from the kneeling servant and gave him a nod of approval as he left the room. I could feel Sina's hand on my shoulder as I unwrapped a large bronze shield. The numeral for "Five" was etched in the middle, and layered gems formed a mosaic of a falcon-headed man standing atop the walls of a city. It was commemoratory, a gift to celebrate the five years of peace Shurima had since our battle in Shurelya, when the Falcon Emperor killed the mad wizard, Zaler, without harming a single innocent.

As soon as the servant was out of sight, I threw the shield to the stone floor of my bedchamber. Sina, much less hindered by her second pregnancy, walked over and calmly lifted it, overlooking the trophy. "It is a gift, Azir. On'dar surely means no harm by it."

I gave my wife a blank look, slowly nodding. The green gem on her necklace, my proposal gift, caught my attention as I tried to shift my thoughts away from Shurelya. It was far from the miraculous victory the legends made it out to be. For one, I had not stopped Zaler alone. Xerath was by my side. And I had not spared every innocent. Four slaves had died that day, not that it seemed to matter to anyone but me. But for me, months of nightmares seeing their mangled bodies, imagining their grieving families, hearing the soft squish of my lance puncturing flesh...It couldn't have mattered any more. Sina had been my companion through so many of those sleepless nights. Only she and Xerath knew the whole story. Only they would ever know.

"I know.", I responded, lifting my eyes to meet hers. "I will be sure to visit On'dar and thank him. I do need to collect Nubak's armor in a few hours anyway…"

Sina smiled at the mention of our son's name. Nubak was four years old now, and already he would be embarking on his first grand adventure as a future Emperor. For years, the Shurimans made war with the Targon Protectorate to the north, a tribe of mountain dwelling warriors. They were unparalleled in combat, and it was only through the use of diplomacy that my great-grandfather had managed to quell their invasions. Now, after decades of a stable peace, I had made a deal with the ruling Council of Targon. My son, Nubak, would live with them for fifteen years, learning their ways and customs, and spreading ours to them. It was, as Sur'tesh had put it, "A cultural exchange, a grand experiment to enrich both of our nations."

Sina had been all for the idea. Of course Nubak was dear to her, but it would not only give her time to focus on his twin brother, Basir, but to teach her son valuable cultural and military techniques from Targon. I had a feeling she was especially excited about the latter.

At that point, Nubak himself burst through the doors to the bedchamber, running forth and hugging my leg. I laughed as I leaned down to embrace him. Where others would kneel and knock tepidly on my chamber doors, he simply dashed through. I rather liked that about my son. It was one of the many things I would miss about him. I could not speak for Sina, but I felt that I was taking his departure with more difficulty. I was worried. I had, however, entrusted Xerath and Sur'tesh with finding the most capable bodyguards for the journey to Targon, and Slo'vik was already dispatching troops to patrol the roads for highwaymen and Xer'sai.

"Morning papa! Morning mama!" Nubak sounded overjoyed, and a bit muffled, as he buried his face deeper into my leg. Sina ruffled her son's hair as she exited the room.

"Aww, good morning to you too, Nubak! You have a big day today, but don't worry! Mama will be back after her meetings this morning to give you your goodbye presents!"

Nubak pouted, but nodded. "Aww, okay...I'll see you later, Mama!"

As Sina departed, Nubak climbed up on the bed next to me, smiling. He seemed unconvinced by my weak attempt to return the grin. "Is something wrong, Papa?"

Shaking my head, I gave my son a hug. "No, Nubak. Nothing is wrong. I will simply miss you very much while you are in Targon."

My son nodded and hugged me back, tighter than I thought a four-year old could manage. "I will too, Papa. But you and Mama will be waiting, so I'll be sure to learn all I can from Tagron!"

I chuckled. "TARgon, Nubak. You'll want to get that straight!" He giggled as I poked him in the forehead. "You wouldn't like it if I forgot your name, would you?"

"No, Papa, I wouldn't!"

Smiling again, I gave him another poke. "Well, alright then...Nobog."

"Papa!" He playfully punched me in the gut, and I feigned injury, gasping dramatically and puffing my cheeks out as I fell over onto the bed, much to his entertainment. "Wow, you're so strong already!"

"Azir. I hate to interrupt…"

Xerath was now standing in the doorway. I sat up and lifted Nubak aside as he continued.

"But Sur'tesh wishes you to come to the Path of Knowledge Library. He's found the bodyguards you requested."

Nodding, I turned back to Nubak. "Well, I have to go meet with your new friends, Nubak, but why don't you go and play with your brother for a while?" He nodded vigorously and rushed out of the chambers. I followed, albeit more slowly, and accompanied Xerath to the library. Our walk was a mostly silent one.

"On'dar's shield was very well made." Xerath mumbled, glancing at me as we walked.

I was confused. "How did you know about that?"

"Lady Sina showed me as I was coming to your room. The gemcraft is fantastic on it. It seems like somehow even he can still improve."

I did not respond. He continued anyway.

"We did well that day, Azir. Not...perfectly. But well."

Shurelya had been a frequent topic in our discussions over the past few years, so this was not news to me. We had always avoided the topic of the four slaves, though. It seemed as if we had an invisible, unsaid accord, to let that moment stay buried. Today I decided to break it.

"I had to kill them."

It was a statement that not even I was comfortable making. I had wrestled with it for years. But comparing possible outcomes…

"No. You did not."

Xerath was surprisingly direct, his usual coy mannerisms completely absent as his blue eyes buried themselves within me.

"You could have waited for me to think of a non-lethal spell. You could have captured Zaler later. But you made your choice."

Anger began to bubble up in me. "I had no time to think, Xerath! If he had gotten away…"

"I never said it was a poor choice. Simply...not the optimal one." He was back to being aloof, and I simply decided to let the matter drop for now. After all, we had nearly reached the Library.

"I suppose you are correct. But Xerath...I still fully intend to keep my promise."

This time it was his turn to be silent as we entered the Library. Almost immediately, faster than I thought his old bones could manage, Sur'tesh pulled me aside. "Thank you, Xerath." muttered the eldrly wizard, giving my slave a nod. Xerath returned it and quickly strode to a nearby shelf, with an odd sense of purpose and speed I rarely saw from him.

Sur'tesh seemed to note my confused glance, and he let out a quiet chuckle as he watched Xerath begin talking to a woman with short red hair, dressed in rags and carrying a large stack of tomes. As he began helping her put them onto the shelves, Sur'tesh whispered to me. "That's the slave of the town librarian. She's a local collector on Ascension memorabilia, donates a lot of material to the crown...the slave's name is Tabia."

I arched an eyebrow. "Is Xerath...flirting?"

Sur'tesh could barely contain his entertainment. "Oh, he's always rushing to her side to help her put the books away, to pack her things...he even brings her meals from the kitchens to take home."

I was shocked. Xerath was not one to make emotional connections. But seeing him now, although from a distance, it was clear that he was calm and open with this slave in a way he typically only was with me.

"Amazing." I muttered. "And here I thought he'd end up married to a particularly large book."

Sur'tesh actually snorted at that one, but thankfully Xerath seemed to absorbed in his conversation with Tabia. "Oh...but it is unfitting for the Emperor of Shurima and his humble Grand Magus to sit around and gossip like children, hmm? I have found your requested bodyguards." He gestured towards a chamber in the back of the library.

"Ah, thank you, Sur'tesh. I will be glad to meet them."

As I walked across the room, he called after me. "Oh, you already have!"

Shock and awe overcame me as I entered the sitting room and saw two large forms sitting on the sofa before me. I could recognize the wise Nasus and the powerful Renekton immediately. The Ascended brothers.

"Hello, Emperor. Please, close the door, if you will."

Nasus' voice seemed unnaturally calm. I did as he asked, and sat down across from him and his brother, in a large chair. "It is an honor, Ascended Ones."

Renekton gave a bow, his piercing eyes flitting about the room as he did so. "Thank you, Emperor Azir."

I could feel my voice slightly wavering as I spoke. I knew Nasus and Renekton were benevolent allies of Shurima, not beasts, but their inhuman forms and sizes made them intimidating nonetheless. "You...wish to accompany my son to the Targon Protectorate?"

Nasus nodded. "Indeed. When we heard the Grand Magus was seeking bodyguards for a voyage of this importance...we could not pass up the chance." As if already sensing my next question, Nasus chuckled. "Oh, and, no, this is certainly not "below us". Shurima has not conducted a mission of this cultural significance in centuries. I would be honored to be part of it."

Baring his fangs, Renekton chuckled. "Back in the old days, I fought plenty of Targonians. They've got spirit up there, and some powerful techniques. Almost slowed me down a bit."

Nasus rolled his eyes, and I laughed, assuming this was the reptilian Ascended's version of a joke.

"Honestly, brother, you undersell the importance of this journey. This is the son of the Falcon you speak of…"

"The...Falcon?" I interjected, looking at Nasus curiously.

The jackal looked at me as if I was stupid. "Yes. You, of course. Clad in your shining circlet, doing battle against impossible odds…"

Renekton gave a gruff snort of approval. "Even we heard about that. Impressive, kid."

The leather of the chair squeaked as my fist grew tight around it. "That's not how it happened. I am no god of battle, nor am I Ascended…"

Nasus shook his head. "It matters not. Ascension, godhood, whatever you call it. It is a means to an end. Those who would do nothing would still do nothing with unlimited power. It is those who strive for a goal already that are worthy recipients."

With an exaggerated groan, Renekton rose to his feet. "Your philosophy is as dull as ever, brother. I would like to pay a visit to the Path Of Strength...if you would permit, Emperor?"

"O-of course…" I stammered.

He gave a toothy grin. "Excellent. I look forward to seeing Shurima's newest warriors take their first steps on the martial path."

As he left, Nasus rose to follow, but I stopped him. "Sir Nasus? Would you mind if I asked you a few...additional questions?"

The Ascended smiled as he sat back down. "I have much time today. Please, Emperor, indulge yourself, I will answer whatever I can."

There was a long silence as I sorted through my memories from earlier today. "I feel as though I am failing my people."

Nasus laughed. "Emperor Azir, I have seen countless men rise and fall in your throne. The countryside is prospering, the people revere you, Shurima is flourishing. I do not lie to comfort feelings, you are performing admirably. I heard about the Battle of Shurelya myself, you know. I have a few books on it…"

"Do any of them include the incident where I massacred four slaves to get to Zaler?" My voice was filled with a fury I did not recognize, and even Nasus seemed to be caught off guard.

"They do not. Is this what troubles you? The lives of four...tragic, for a time, but we all die, Emperor Azir. Still, it is not unnatural to feel guilt."

I shook my head. "I swore that when I became Emperor, I would purge the corruption of Shurima. Yes, we are prospering, but we do so on the backs of innocent slaves. Are they not human? Are they not Shuriman?"

With a nod, Nasus folded his arms. "Ah, I see. These sentiments would make you much less popular, were they public...it is your compassion that makes you feel weak. It should not. You must carve your own path forward, Azir. No Emperor makes history by only preserving the status quo."

He continued to ponder. "However...no Empire falls by prospering...so it is a difficult choice you have before you. What you believe is right...and what you believe is safe. And not even the power of an Emperor can solve such a dilemma."

The thought that had been bouncing around my skull manifested itself. "What about an Ascended Emperor?"

With a sharp breath, Nasus suddenly seemed much more intrigued. "Have you uncovered the ritual?"

"My Grand Magus believes he is close. I could become an Ascended. That way…"

Nasus cut me off. "None could challenge you. The strength of a god in the body of an Emperor. A powerful...and yet, dangerous, prospect."

Feeling indignant, I responded. "I would not abuse such power, Nasus. I would seek only to better Shurima, as you and Renekton have."

"Ascension does not make one perfect, Azir." Nasus' tone was serious. "My brother and I have made mistakes. Perhaps you may as well. Although, I must admit...slavery is a blight on our nation…"

"And with this…" I smiled. "No noble could stop their liberation. No chains could withstand my decree. I could save them."

Finally standing up, Nasus towered over me as he nodded. "Very well. But I must warn you, Azir...Ascension is not a safe process. There are many more dead aspirants than Ascended beings. Is this something you would stake your life on?"

I thought of Xerath. "I would."

As he departed the room, Nasus gave me another look. "Well then. Do what you must, Emperor Azir. You are no fool. But I assume you know the old adage about good deeds...none go unpunished."

We exited into the library, and I turned to Sur'tesh. "Grand Magus?"

He looked back. "Yes, my Emperor?"

"Accelerate research on the Ritual of Ascension." I smiled as I saw Xerath and Tabia, each holding part of a large tome, grinning as they flipped through it. "I have made my choice."


	10. Chapter 10

The man gazed upon the sun, and he saw light.  
The man relied upon the sun, and he felt warmth.

The man tried to surpass the sun, and he was burned to cinder.

-Ancient Shuriman Fable, Author Unknown

For six long years, all research in the palace was focused on the Ritual of Ascension. I continued to rule in my usual manner, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I spent days on the throne, listening to the court prattle on about local disputes, trade agreements, but I had a higher cause. When I was Ascended, these problems would cease to be. With Sina, Xerath, and the others by my side, I would forge a new Shurima. But, for now, I had to keep up appearances.

"Emperor?"

I looked down from my throne at the noblewoman standing before me. "Hmm? Apologies, I did not hear you, Lady Skren."

I could see her eye twitch a bit as she coughed and readjusted her broach. It was a minor message, but a clear one. "Pay attention this time."

"As Sur'tesh has no doubt informed you...gemstones are required to channel the arcane energy of the Ritual. My slave will be delivering them to your chamber personally, to avoid the risk of any...unsavory types that may be lurking in the capital. Or perhaps even in the Royal Guard…"

Was that a slight towards my wife? I wouldn't put it past Skren. She was cruel, cunning, and had even managed to out-negotiate Lady Ru'ban once or twice. But, most importantly, she was extremely wealthy, and her family had been fascinated with Ascension for generations. Many of the resources I needed came directly from her. So, for now…

"Your contribution is greatly appreciated by the Crown, Lady Skren," I declared, "Please, direct your slave to my chambers at midday, if possible. I will be free of duty then."

The old crone nodded. "Of course, my Emperor. Long may you reign."

* * *

The remainder of the day's petitioners were minor affairs. Admittedly, I spent much of my time simply looking out the window in the rear of the throne room. A massive golden circle rose across the Shuriman skyline, the process of years of work led by On'dar himself. He had poured every bit of the inhuman effort he seemed to possess into this "Sun Disk", an important part of the Ascension process, according to Xerath and Sur'tesh. It loomed over the city, casting a glittering reflection on the streets. Thankfully, Lady Ru'ban seemed much more aware than I was, and by the time I had finally wrenched my attention back to the affairs being presented to me, the last petitioner of the morning was departing, and the High Treasurer was giving me a look that seemed to waver between a concerned stare and an enraged glare.

"If you would rather I be the Emperor, your highness, you can simply give me the crown. I would not mind."

I had to smile. Ru'ban's sharp tongue was not dulling with her advanced age. I stood up and shook my head.

"No, it is alright, Lady Ru'ban. I've simply been...distracted lately."

She followed my eyes to the sun disc and shook her head. "Ah. The Ascension. You know the people are elated, my Emperor? Crying out "The Falcon will soar!" and such…"

"I sense you don't agree, Ru'ban?"

The elderly woman sagged her shoulders and gave a shrug. "Whether or not you are an Ascended will not change my job, Emperor Azir. I simply worry for you."

Walking forward, I rested a hand on Ru'ban's shoulder. "Worry no longer. Xerath and Sur'tesh have ensured me the process is completely safe. We are using better quality magics and components than our ancestors."

To my surprise, she scoffed. "Bah. That isn't what I meant. The Ritual itself could be as simple as sitting in your own throne and I would worry. The scheduled day approaches, Azir…and until then, you are as mortal as I. You have a wife, one of the strongest and bravest women in the empire. You have two sons, brave Nubak living amongst the Targonians, and little Basir taking his first steps on the path of the scholar. Your daughter, Adea, can barely walk. You have much to live for, Emperor Azir."

Her eyes darkened. "And you must make your choices carefully in the days to come. Do not let pride come before a fall."

Wordlessly, she exited the throne room, leaving me with my thoughts.

* * *

My downcast mood was nearly immediately lifted as I entered my chambers. Sina was holding Adea in her arms, the both of them smiling and giggling as Basir sat on the floor across from Xerath. In between them floated an old copper bust of myself, hovering under the strength of arcane energy.

"I...I think I'm doing it!" Basir said excitedly, his shaggy dark hair crackling with blue light.

Xerath nodded. "Of course you are. I stopped a few minutes ago."

As Basir gasped, the bust tumbled to the floor, landing with a hard clang. Somehow, this only made Adea giggle harder. My son was ecstatic, turning to me. "Father! Look! Xerath taught me how to make things fly!"

"And land softly…" Xerath muttered, glancing at the scuffed floor. "But I suppose this is a good first step."

I walked over to Basir, kissing my wife and daughter on the cheek as I approached, and patted him heartily on the shoulder. "Impressive! I'm sure you'll make a fine scholar one day!"

His face looked like it was about to burst with excitement. Basir had always been much more excitable than his twin brother...part of the reason we had chosen to send Nubak to Targon instead, not that I would ever tell him that.

"Uh huh! Uh huh! And mom taught me how to use a scimitar today!"

Sina grinned, her warrior spirit apparent in the pride she seemed to feel at that statement. "A growing boy needs some exercise...why not make it practical? All the soldiers at the drill were very impressed!"

A side glance from Sina gave me the impression that they most certainly weren't, but again...I wouldn't tell him that.

Basir nodded again. "And I'll keep training, I promise! I want to be as strong as the Sun General some day! And as powerful as the Grand Apprentice!"

Giving a mock pout, Sina sighed. "The Sun General? Not even going to mention me?"

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. Xerath was swiftly on his feet, striding to the golden entrance. When he opened it, a familiar woman entered. She had shabby clothes, dark red hair, and looked absolutely terrified to be here.

"Xerath…"

I could recognize her as Tabia, someone I'd been seeing more and more frequently as the Ascension ritual grew closer and closer. It clicked in my mind that she must be the slave Skren spoke of.

Her eyes didn't even hover on me for a second, instead being focused directly on the Grand Apprentice. Xerath seemed to visibly relax as he shook her hand. "Tabia! Please, enter the chambers."

Still trembling, Tabia took a few tepid steps in before kneeling in front of me, holding two bowls of shimmering gemstones on upturned palms. "Emperor Azir. I come to deliver tribute to Your Highness."

Her bronze collar was far too evident as she bowed her head, and I felt that familiar twinge of guilt. Soon enough, though, it would all be over.

"Thank you." I bent down and took the bowls, handing them carefully to Sina. A few awkward moments passed before I remembered what Tabia was probably waiting for.

"You may go now."

Climbing to her feet, she offered another deep bow before quickly exiting the room. I gave Xerath a look as his gaze lingered on the door. Recalling what Sur'tesh had mentioned, I couldn't help but give my friend a grin.

"Say, Xerath, you should probably go and help calm her down a bit. She seems to have taken a liking to our Grand Apprentice."

It was the first and last time I ever saw Xerath blush. Muttering something I couldn't hear, he scurried out of the room. Smiling, I turned to Sina, who had an eyebrow raised. She sounded as surprised as I was.

"Is Xerath...flirting?"

I burst into laughter again, spending the rest of the day with my beloved family.

* * *

The next morning, a letter arrived, sealed with a crest unfamiliar to most. It was delivered to me in the throne room, and On'dar, present for a consultation on the Sun Disk, asked if he could hold it. I offered the parchment up to the blind smith, and he traced his fingers over the insignia, nodding to himself.

"Targonian Protectorate. Hmm. From Nubak, then?"

"I would assume so." I replied, taking the letter back and opening it. The message was written in broad smudges, suggesting the use of charcoal over something like ink to form it.

"Father, I write to you in good health. The Targonians are celebrating a festival today, and I wish you were here to witness it. Their work with stone carvings and weaponry is amazing. I must tell you about the-"

The doors flew open, and in an instant, Sina came hurtling through, her eyes wide. "Azir!"

On'dar and I turned to her. She didn't look wounded, just tired, as if she had sprinted all the way here.

"There's something happening at the Sun Disk! Xerath sent for you...he says you must hurry there!"

Rising from my throne, I quickly dashed from the room, closely following my wife as she made her way through the main hall.

The streets of the capital were, admittedly, not very familiar to me. I had spent most of my life in the palace and on the grounds, so the twists and turns of the stone roads were something I wasn't entirely used to. Thankfully, Sina seemed to know the way just fine. We hurriedly ran past market stalls and homes, the people reacting with shock at seeing their emperor sprinting through the streets. Some of them even tried to follow us, but quickly gave up, not wanting to abandon their merchandise. As we approached the Dais of Ascension, the massive structure that had been commissioned to hold the Sun Disk, I could see a crowd gathered. Perhaps a better word would be "mob".

The people were clearly furious about...something. They shouted and shook blunt instruments towards the Disk, their voices melding into a single, furious cacophony. As I ascended the steps, it turned into a cheer, a chant. They hailed the arrival of the Falcon Emperor, not knowing how utterly confused I was. And I certainly wasn't going to let them know. At the top of the Dais, a surprising scene awaited me.

Slo'vik stood at the top of the steps, a squadron of soldiers flanking him, keeping the crowds back. Behind him stood Xerath, his palms subtly glowing that familiar blue. Across the Dais from him was Lady Skren, a look of pure scorn on her face. Both of them could not take their eyes off of the center of the scene. Two guards were holding the arms of a kneeling slave. I recognized her far too quickly. Tabia. The world seemed to freeze for a moment as I approached.

Slo'vik gave me a nod and stepped out of the way, Sina remaining behind to fill the hole in the formation of guards as I passed through. I brushed past Xerath, but he barely acknowledged me. Skren, on the other hand, seemed shocked.

"What's this? You've roused the Emperor for something this foolish? Come now…"

Xerath's face contorted with rage. Tabia was slowly beginning to sob. Raising my scepter, I brought it to a clattering halt on the stone. Suddenly, everyone's attention was on me.

"I have arrived! Tell me what happened here."

Skren was the first to speak. "My Emperor, I owe you an apology...yesterday, I sent you three bowls of precious gems, did I not?"

I was puzzled. "Do you mean two?"

The old noble grimaced. "I do not. But I imagine that is what you received...considering what I found lining the pockets of this wretched thing when she returned!" She pointed a bony finger at Tabia, who raised her head slightly. The crowd began to jeer.

"Tabia." I measured my voice carefully. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I...I have a brother. He is sick. I needed the...the money, Your Highness."

Xerath gave me a look, his face set and his eyes wide. Skren scoffed.

"Bah. Worthless thing. This wouldn't be the first time she's stolen from me for this "brother", you know! I doubt he even exists! Probably sneaks out to get drunk on my hard earned wealth...and to think, I was kind enough not to turn her in!"

The crowd's jeers grew louder. I tried to remain steady, but my heart was pounding against my chest. Tabia was not lying. I could see it in her eyes. And I understood. But I could not let her go, not simply for personal reasons. The look in the eyes of the crowd around me reassured me of that. I would go from the Falcon to the Pigeon.

"You have confessed?" I asked, looking over Tabia.

Simpering, she nodded.

Xerath's voice was choked. "I believe the sentence for theft is a...decade of prison...my Emperor." He looked defeated.

With another scoff, Skren shook her head. "Oh, no. Not for your kind. It's time for this little rat to die."

"What?" Xerath shook with fury, but Skren's voice remained smooth.

"Oh, yes. You see, slaves stealing are subject to immediate execution! Is that not true, Sun General?"

Xerath and I turned to Slo'vik. As former head of the town guards, he would know. With a grim expression, he slowly nodded. "That is what the law decrees."

The familiar sensation of blue eyes boring into my skin returned as Xerath stared at me. As if just to torment me further, Skren continued.

"And, if you'd be so kind, Emperor Azir...I'd like her hands. Trophies, you see. Should keep the rest of them in line."

Tabia was sobbing hard now. Xerath looked as if he was about to explode. I could see small bolts of arcane energy jittering from his palms, his fury overflowing into magical discharge. The crowd cheered.

The cheers were what hurt the most. The Shurimans wanted blood. They wanted to see this woman murdered. For the crime of stealing from a man who had everything, to give to someone who had nothing. I was the victim of the crime, but I felt no malice towards the criminal. I wanted to call them off. I wanted to tell Tabia to take me to her brother.

I stepped closer to the slave woman, my scepter tapping the floor in a staccato fashion as I walked.

But I couldn't just do that. I would lose the support of the people. Skren was financing nearly the entire ritual. The crowd was clearly on her side. If I were to let Tabia go, I would be risking losing my chance at Ascension. With that sort of power, I could change an empire. Here, I could save one woman.

I could barely look as I ran the bladed end of my scepter through Tabia's heart. Her eyes met mine, and she gasped once, blood trickling from her mouth. Then she folded over, dead.

The crowd's whoops of joy completely overcame Xerath's cry of despair. Skren was grinning. Sina looked crestfallen. Slo'vik was every bit as stoic as usual. But I could not focus on them. I could only think of Shurelya. Another life was added to my body count. As Skren approached, I barred her way with my scepter, blood dripping from the tip.

"You will take no trophies. That is not part of our laws, and it is barbaric. This slave will be given a proper burial. Our business here is concluded, Lady Skren."

She sneered, but seemed placated. Without another word to me, she turned and left the Dais, the cheering crowd engulfing her as she strode back to her mansion.

Xerath's eyes looked hollow as he approached the corpse. The guards holding it had dispersed, and Tabia's body lay mangled on the stone. He knelt next to her and sunk his face into her hair. It felt as if my heart had been wrenched from my gut. I tried to approach him, but Sina's hand gingerly grabbed my shoulder. I could see it in her eyes. I would only be making things worse. Letting her lead me, we walked towards the steps. Slo'vik looked solemnly at me as I passed, and I turned to whisper to him.

"Give Xerath all the time he needs with the body. Then you may bury it."

"Acknowledged, Emperor Azir." Slo'vik replied. He finished with a surprising sigh. "I'm...sorry."

* * *

I did not return to my chambers that night. Instead, I went to the tombs. I stood before my father's coffin, and I began to speak to no one in particular.

"You were right. I was not prepared to be Emperor. This position would break the hardiest of men. I have been forced to do unconscionable things. I have spilled innocent blood in a revolution. I have murdered my closest friend's only love. And I know now, why you told me what you did."

Another voice cut in. "But soon, it all changes."

Xerath was standing in the entryway.

"That's what you told me, Azir."

My heart stopped. Xerath's robes were matted with dried blood. He had not bothered changing after Tabia's death. I could think of no words for him.

Xerath looked me in the eyes as he approached, a tranquil anger surrounding him. "I had a feeling you'd be here."

I nodded. "Xerath. I cannot apologize enough f-"

"Save it. You did what you needed to so you could secure the ritual." His voice was calm. "I understand. But I have...troubling news."

"Oh?" Secretly, I was simply thankful for the change in subject.

"Sur'tesh is dead. He never woke up this morning."

I could feel a pang in my chest, but it felt like simply another drop in the ocean. "He was a good man."

"And he was scheduled to prepare the Rite of Ascension."

I hadn't even realized that. Panic briefly welled within me. "No...but how…"

Xerath, shockingly, smiled. "Do not worry, Emperor Azir. There is a reason we have a Grand Apprentice. Or should I say, had one. I am now, I suppose, the Grand Magus."

"Well then. Congratulations on your promotion." The joke was halfhearted, but I was blind to it. I was groping around my head for anything, any emotion aside from guilt, any feeling aside from despair, but nothing came close.

My slave nodded. "I will be the one to oversee preparations for the Rite. And I will ensure that all goes according to plan."

I looked my friend in the eyes and nodded. "Thank you, Xerath. For everything. You have been a tremendous help all these years."

He nodded. "My pleasure to serve, Emperor Azir. Because when Ascension comes…"

Forcing a smile, I shook his hand. "Everything changes."

Xerath grinned. "Indeed it does."


	11. Epilogue

**AN: Hey there. The events of this Epilogue take place after the stories "Unbound" and "Arisen". If you haven't read them, head to the Azir and Xerath champion pages on the LoL website, or you'll probably be confused! They're also really good, so there's that.**

Millenia had passed, and I had lost everything.

As I walked through what had once been the gates to the palace, my heart ached. Or, at least, I think it did. I wasn't sure if I truly had a heart anymore. My entire body had changed. Hands replaced with claws, feet shifted into talons. I couldn't feel my face, only the weight of a golden helmet over whatever remained beneath.

Finally, I had Ascended. I had also died.

Everything was a blur when I woke up. I found a dying woman, saved her, and learned from her. In this new world, Shurima was gone. I was nothing but a forgotten myth. And thousands of years had gone by since I took part in the ritual of Ascension. Everyone I knew, worked with, fought with, loved with, was dead. And I should have been as well. Perhaps it was a side effect of the Ascension. Maybe it was simple fate that dragged me out of my eternal rest. Regardless, I knew the cause. I had to bring Shurima back.

The path that had once led to my chambers was in ruins now. A massive wall of debris separated me and the other side. Almost effortlessly, I simply leapt forward, soaring into the air, landing with a soft crunch on the top of the mound. They were right, in the end. Maybe I was the Falcon.

The young mercenary I had saved had explained much to me, but the most shocking revelations came from my own mouth. Something in me recognized her, after a while. Not even generations of births could erase all the features of my son. I knew, and confirmed with her, that she was Nubak's descendant. And thus my own.

I wish I could have enjoyed the family reunion more. She also seemed fairly disinterested. It did not strike me that this woman had much interest in reminiscing. She told me of the location of the ruined Sun Disc, and we went our separate ways. I could not blame her. She had her own mission, and I had mine. Our paths would cross again, someday, I was sure of it.

The chamber itself was barred by a massive boulder. If felt natural to me as I raised my staff, and piles of sand nearby swirled, morphing themselves slowly into familiar shapes. Spears, pauldrons, helmets. These replicas of the Shuriman royal guards felt painfully lifelike. I directed them to move the object, and they did, working as a unit to push the boulder aside. Afterwards, they offered me a salute, and dissipated, leaving only swirling clouds of sand behind.

The walk to the Dais of Ascension was a humbling one. I did not recognize anything of my capital city, perhaps because it was all in pieces. What was once a bustling center of an empire was nothing more than a jagged landscape of eroded stone and mounds of sand. As I continued towards the Dais, my mind swirled with questions. Chief among them, "What went wrong?". How could the Ritual have backfired this badly? How could it have killed me? What happened to Shurima? Inspecting the Dais had brought me answers to these questions, ones that I was perhaps never meant to know.

My bedchambers seemed miraculously in decent shape, compared to the rest of the city. I could still see the bedframe where I had spent nights with Sina. The corners of the room were intact, where my children had played together, battling imaginary Xer'sai with toy weapons. My view of the Sun Disc remained on the ruined balcony, but now, even that was destroyed. I was walking in a land of ruin. But whose fault was that?

At the Dais, I had seen the ghosts of the past. With my newfound power, I could recreate what had happened. I saw Sina's final moments, shocked and enraged. I watched Basir try and fend off the magical blast, but fail. I watched my daughter, Adea, bury her face in Sina's leg, not wanting to see the end come. Slo'vik died with weapon in hand. Ru'ban was engulfed as she took one last sip of that sickening tea. On'dar had no reaction, as if he simply didn't care anymore. But one person had survived. One of my confidants, my friends, stood at the center of it all, absorbing the power that was meant for me, causing the ritual to go haywire and create an explosion that destroyed our land. One man had killed Shurima. And he was waiting for me on the palace grounds.

I leapt down from the balcony, meeting Xerath amidst the ruins of a palace long since abandoned. I could barely recognize him. He was no longer human. Crackling arcane bolts held together a humanoid shape, comprised of ritual stone. Two massive chains held a sigil to his rocky chest. One thing had not changed, however. Xerath's blue eyes were as striking as ever as he stared me down.

"Azir. I thought you were dead."

I raised my scepter, pointing it at my former friend.

"I was. But justice cannot elude you forever, traitor."

Xerath laughed, a strange, magnified laugh, seeming to hum with currents of magical power. "Justice? I was imprisoned for millenia in that damned tomb! And you speak of traitors? I was only doing what you never had the courage to!"

I was enraged. "Commit genocide? Xerath...look around us. You did this."

He shook his head. "Again, old friend, you are deluded by your own arrogance. This was your doing. Your vision. The "Ascension". All I did was...modify it."

A thought suddenly resonated with me, and I felt a trickle of cold on the back of my neck.

"You killed Sur'tesh. So that you could…"

"Change the ritual, channel the power to myself. Yes, yes. You are correct. It was a harmless poison. He died in his sleep. He truly was a good man. He did not deserve your fate."

Xerath's tone was almost...condescending. The years had changed him. Whatever compassion was left seemed to be gone.

I slammed my scepter into the ground. Around me, the earth began to rise and swirl.

"You killed thousands of innocents. Was that part of your plan, Xerath? Were none of them "good men"?"

He raised his energy hands to the sky. Bolts of azure lightning began to strike around us.

"No. You were there when Tabia died. When you killed her. They were animals, baying for blood. So in the end, it was a mistake...but not one I regret. I have had time to think about things, Azir. More time than anyone should have. And I realized something. Things would never change. Not with them as the people we were trying to convince. Not with your pathetic stalling and appeasement of those monsters you called citizens. I did what had to be done. Shurima was broken, and I tore it apart so it could be built anew!"

Though bolts struck the ground around me, I did not falter. I walked closer, the sand forming more and more soldiers, ghosts of a dead empire surrounding a dead emperor as he marched.

"We were going to change things. My last action as a man was to free you all. Does that mean nothing to you?"

I thought I saw Xerath falter. "Too little. Too late. You think you can understand us, after you massacred us at Shurelya? After you gutted Tabia in cold blood? You were never truly going to help the slaves, Azir. You were only interested in calming your own guilt."

He regained his composure, and massive orbs of energy rained from the sky, decimating many of the soldiers. But more formed, and I continued to march forth, bursts of dust clouding in my wake.

"I did what I had to. We both knew this would take time."

"And I always knew you might not have the strength to do it when it mattered. So I made arrangements."

This time, I was caught off guard. "Arrangements? How long...how long were you planning this?"

His response was immediate. "Since the day your father wrenched a collar around my neck and bid me serve you. Since the day you pretended to be my friend, when you could not even free me. For every one of the years you lied and schemed as well, putting up that illusion of closeness. You never cared about me. You never cared about any of us."

Finally, I had closed the distance. I could see directly into Xerath's eyes now, as they burned with magical power.

"You're wrong. You were my friend. I trusted you, Xerath. And I wanted nothing more than to give you the freedom you deserved. But in return...you killed my family. You destroyed my kingdom. Nothing is left now, and I realize something." I brandished my scepter.

"Xerath, you betrayed me. You betrayed Shurima. And as its last Emperor, I will end you for it."

Xerath gave a grim nod, glowing even stronger as he gathered power. "I knew it would end this way. Fine. Let me do what I should have done years ago. Let me snuff out the last, pathetic light of a cruel monarchy. Shurima was meant to fall!"

I raised my weapon and charged forth, the ghostly legions of sand soldiers at my back. Xerath seemed to expand and contract as his power fluxed, launching barrages of arcane power at me. The ground below cracked and exploded as we rushed forward at one another.

Xerath had saved my life. I had saved his. Now, one of us would end the other. For good.

The sand will shift, and the sun will sear.

All we know, and all we hold dear

Buried and burnt, nothing is the same

But both of us might be to blame.

-Unknown Author

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Well, I guess we're done here, huh? Thanks to everyone for reading, of course, it's been a pleasure to write. I feel like a lot of the time when I finish a story, I want to ask the author about some stuff in it, but that's pretty impossible much of the time. So I wanted to put a little postscript here regarding some of my thoughts on writing this. Everything after this is just going to be my opinions and ideas and such, so if you don't want to read it, no worries, the story's over, you can click that back button.**

 **SSSS (the acronym this story ended up with) was really born out of me wanting to do something with a bit of League lore I thought was unexpanded on. Whereas something like Unholy Alliance is what I'd consider a "finale" type story of sorts, SSSS is made so it can fit within the confines of the existing canon. This was almost a Shen and Zed story, because I felt like their background was also somewhat underdeveloped. I ended up going into Azir and Xerath, though, because they have one of my favorite stories in all of League. This turned out to be a good idea because Jhin came out in the middle of this and explained a ton of Shen/Zed stuff. It's this whole idea of Azir being a genuinely good person who wanted to help people, but was stymied a bit by lack of vision, and Xerath being someone who resorted to extremely drastic measures to solve a horrible issue (The slavery in Shurima.) I feel like these stories that elaborate on it, (Xerath's "Unbound" and Azir's "Arisen") are woefully underrated, because they came out at a time when Lore was super tumultuous and controversial. So I really wanted to work with them a bit, because so many people haven't read them, and they really are great pieces.**

 **A lot of the elements of the story, including Azir having a wife, at least two sons, and at least one daughter, were pretty much mandated by Arisen. And I enjoyed writing that. The reason Nubak is in Targon was just to work around that whole "If all the Shurimans died, how does Sivir exist?" thing, which Riot has hinted very strongly at, but never outright confirmed (A child of Azir being away from Shurima and surviving the explosion, later producing Sivir's ancestors). Tabia was a character from Xerath's old lore I tossed into this story, because I did like his old lore, and I did want to toss a bit of that in there. The stuff about her being a slave and killed by Azir I made up (She was actually killed accidentally by Xerath in the original Judgement!), but it also helped to set up some last minute tension between Azir and Xerath, giving Xerath someone to finally care about, and having Azir snatch all of it away to preserve his own plans.**

 **Azir and Xerath's characters are very much my interpretations of them, because there's not too much canon on their personalities. The big idea is that Azir considered Xerath a friend, and had good intentions, but was too slow acting on them, and Xerath didn't trust him. But the smaller details are murkier. I tried to establish a few guidelines for them in the story based on what I did have, though. Azir's short bio mentions his fall was due to "hubris", so I tried to write Azir as a character who was always seeking power to change something beyond his means. Eventually, it leads him to Ascension, and it's a bit of a "Wings of Icarus" thing, at least as far as I took it. For Xerath, I liked the idea that he would never show any real sort of emotions, or at least not easily. He's patient, but he's also in pursuit of power, although in a way different from Xerath. Xerath is a much crueler person than Azir, but he's bitter for a reason, I didn't want to make him just like, a huge jerk for zero reason. That's a complaint I noticed a lot of people making towards new Xerath before Unbound came out, so I did my best to avoid that. They both have noble intentions, Azir just thinks that Xerath is willing to go too far, and Xerath thinks Azir is too weak to do what has to be done. Of course, these interpretations of the characters are mine, so you might not agree, and that's just fine. That's part of the fun of fan fiction, and writing in general, really.**

 **I'm not totally happy with everything in the story. I'm not big on the Shurelya battle scene, I'm not good at writing combat sequences (oh man am I gonna have a lot to say about that after Unholy Alliance ends). I wish I had introduced Tabia and Skren in Chapter 7 or so, instead of Tabia appearing in Chapter 9 and dying in 10. One of my big pet peeves with Xerath's original Judgement was that Tabia was a character who just existed to die, and I sorta pulled the same thing here, that's my fault. I wanted more time with Azir's kids, but at that point I was nearing the end, and the chapters were getting too long anyway. Also describing Xerath's powers is the worst to try and do without repeating myself. I went diving for synonyms for "blue" and "magic" so damn much. The whole ending reads a bit rushed to me, honestly, but eh. Wasn't much more I could do without dragging the story on even longer, and this is already double the length I drafted it to be.**

 **Anyway, that's the end of Shifting Sands, Searing Sun. I want to thank everyone who left reviews, follows, or just read the story. It's just really pleasant to see that people enjoy your work. It'll be nice to mark a story off as "Complete" on my profile for the first time (Someday, Unholy Alliance, someday…). I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing.**

 **See you later,**

 **Hippoman**


End file.
